


When You Touch Me I Feel Happy Inside

by Serenitala



Category: Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Holding Hands, Injury, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-11
Updated: 2012-09-11
Packaged: 2017-11-14 01:29:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/509864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serenitala/pseuds/Serenitala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a prompt at the CC Feels Meme.</p><p>"Clint's been banged up, and he's resting in a hospital bed with Coulson beside him.</p><p>Either drugged out of his brain or not, Clint asks Coulson if he can hold his hand. (Alternatively, Clint slurs the lyrics to the Beatles.)"</p>
            </blockquote>





	When You Touch Me I Feel Happy Inside

He really wishes this situation wasn't as familiar as it is. Medical. The smell of antiseptic. The beeping of machines. An unconscious Barton. He's going to be fine, of course. Barton's like a particularly stubborn fungus in that respect, damn hard to kill. Phil's going to stay for a while anyway, just to make sure. It's not that he's worried, it's just that he's a responsible handler, that's all.

 “Boss?”

 Phil whips his head up from the tablet in his lap to see Barton awake and looking right at him, a dopey grin adorning his face.

 “Bossssss,” he repeats, eyes wide and making grabby hands towards Phil.

 Phil stands and pours him a glass of water but, not trusting Barton not to drop it, he moves toward the bed and holds a straw to his lips.

 “No, wait-” Barton gets out before Phil pushes the straw into his unresisting mouth. He watches Barton's throat move, taking a few long swallows before moving the glass away and sitting back down. He's desperately trying not to show his relief that, despite being bruised and bandaged and dosed with painkillers, Barton seems to be OK so he looks down at his hands for a moment to distract himself.

 “Bossss... Agent Coooooulson, Sir...” Barton singsongs, and Phil stares at him in surprise, they must have him on the really good drugs again. Maybe Phil should have them run tests on his liver, it's probably not good for him to have such intense medication so damn often.

 Barton is holding out his hand, stretching it towards him and Phil starts to feel the first few pin-pricks of worry down the back of his neck.

 “Barton? Clint? What's wrong?” He asks, moving towards the bed again, a nervous tension running through him. But even though his eyes are starting to close, Barton is still smiling that goofy smile, looking open and happy. Before Phil knows what's happening, the outstretched hand wraps around his own, and their fingers are being twined together.

 “Nothing wrong,” Barton says, before yawning wide and long, “I just want to hold your hand.” Phil doesn't quite know how to respond to that. He thinks that maybe there isn't any response that could possibly sum up what he's thinking at this moment.

 “I just,” Barton repeats, his eyes drooping slowly, “I just want to hold your hand.” As he falls back to sleep, his fingers warm and tight around Phil's, Phil manages to resist the urge to give in to a hysterical giggle, instead reaching a leg to hook a foot around the chair and pull it forward.

 ' _OK then_ ' he thinks, sitting by the bedside watching his thumb rub over the back of Barton's hand, ' _OK then_.'


End file.
